


Apartment B12

by Sofi_Lofi_Artichokie



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anger, Explosion, Gen, Italian Character(s), Yelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:55:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28085052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sofi_Lofi_Artichokie/pseuds/Sofi_Lofi_Artichokie
Summary: Antonio should have known this day would come.
Kudos: 1





	1. Apartment B12 (Short)

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! This is a story I wrote for a short story contest at my local library. There was a 2,000 word limit so I had to do a lot of editing. I will post both the short and long versions. Happy Reading!

Antonio should have known.  
He should have known that day was coming.  
Antonio’s life was not perfect. It may seem that way from an outsider’s perspective but nothing is perfect. Perfection cost him his dream. He never wanted to take over his family's business, he wanted to be an artist; but he didn't get that choice.  
Being a businessman wasn't what Antonio wanted for himself. It just wasn’t...Antonio. He liked getting his hands dirty. But there were appearances he had to uphold, the son of Richard Aliezea II should never be seen dabbling in something as atrocious as the arts. Antonio hated the expectations put on him by his father. Yet, he never did anything about them.   
That was one of Antonio's worst traits. He’s a people pleaser. That’s why he never brought up how unhappy he was. Antonio wanted to be an artist so badly, but his fear of disappointing his father was far greater. So he kept quiet and did everything he could to please his father and his friends.  
Even though his friends were not who they said they were. Sure, they seemed nice but they really only hung out with him because he was rich and famous. Still, Antonio was oblivious to their intentions. How would he know? He’d never had any other friends before.  
Antonio had been at a meeting all day when he snapped. It was long and taxing, his father had been especially hard on him. Richard pulled Antonio into the hall after the meeting ended and slapped him across the face. His harsh words still echoed in Antonio’s head.  
His father had never been physical with Antonio before. Only the occasional bitter insult. That changed after his mother died. Now there was no one to stand in his way.  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Antonio walked into his friend Kit’s apartment building. Their friend group had all agreed to meet up there for a few drinks. Antonio had only agreed to go that night because he wanted to talk to them. He needed to talk to them. The stress in his life was eating away at him. He felt like if he went another day without talking he might explode.  
As he trudged up the stairs, Antonio attempted to get in the right mindset to be with his friends. This was a ritual that Antonio went through often, straightening up and locking away his emotions, making sure no one could tell what he was feeling. While closing himself off, Antonio was also trying to draw up enough courage for what he was about to do.  
Walking towards apartment B12, Antonio steadied his breathing. He was gonna do it. He tried to keep a clear head, to not think about what was going to happen. Focusing instead on how he would feel after. Wiping his clammy hands on his slacks, Antonio rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door swung open to reveal his other friend Dave, clad in dark blue jeans and a worn t-shirt. There was a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.  
“Oh hey Antonio,” Dave stepped aside, silently inviting him in. Antonio strolled into the apartment, stopping quickly to the left of the door to set his suit jacket on the stool there. Everybody was already there, sitting on the couch with either a glass of wine or a beer. He smiled sheepishly, standing awkwardly while they all stared at him until Kit broke the ice.  
“Hi Antonio, it’s nice to see you. Would you like something to drink?” She walked towards him, while the others continued their previous conversations.   
“Sure, I’ll have a glass of wine, please.” Antonio sat down in a chair at the edge of the activity. The atmosphere was warm and lively but Antonio didn't feel quite welcome. Maybe it was the scathing glances “discreetly” sent his way. Or how everybody seemed to consciously turn their bodies away from him. Or how no one had made eye contact with him for more than a few seconds since he arrived. Soon after, Kit walked back out of the kitchen with a Pinot in her hand.   
Antonio smiled warmly at her. Kit was the only one in the group that wasn't directly unkind to him. But she never stood up for him either. She handed Antonio the glass and sat down. He gripped it gingerly.   
“So Antonio, how has work been?” Kit asked. Everybody seemed to quiet down, waiting for his response. Heaving a large sigh, Antonio tried to gather his courage.  
“Work has been…not great if I’m honest-” He got cut off mid sentence.  
“Yeah sure, Aliezea. Your job as the richest 24 year old on earth must be so hard,” Dave spat, “Counting your thousands of dollars, sitting in your already-paid-off house has to take a lot of energy.” The harsh words caught Antonio off guard, leaving him vulnerable.  
“Geez Antonio, can you give it a rest? You can’t always have all the attention on you.” Ben’s words stung, causing tears to prickle at the back of Antonio’s eyes.  
“Yeah,” Megan agreed, “you haven't worked hard a day in your life. You don't have anything to complain about, everything you have was handed to you. Maybe you should toughen up a bit and start caring about someone that isn’t yourself.” Her words sparked rage somewhere deep in Antonio’s chest. He clenched his fists.  
“You should stop hiding behind your money and try to be one of us someday. Then you'd see that not all of us have such a great life,” Dave said, his words full of venom. “That not all of us can sit around and be lazy. Maybe it would knock you down a peg or two. You could use it.”  
“You know what?” Antonio stood and attempted to make his way towards the door, “I'm done with this cra-”  
“Oh! Now you’re gonna run away from your problems like the coward you are. The little rich boy can't handle the truth so he’s gonna flee and cry to his mommy. Oh, wait.” Ben’s tone was mocking and a cruel smile stretched across his face when Antonio froze. Antonio’s mother was a touchy subject, he hadn't told them much about her other than that she died when he was 13. It was a low blow and Ben knew it would get under Antonio’s skin.  
It was Ben, who seemed so sweet and innocent at first, that sent Antonio off the edge, plunging into the depths of rage. He released his tight fists and closed his eyes as a dark look came over his face. Everyone was silent as they waited for his response.  
“Don't you dare insult my mother you… you fottuto marmocchio'' Antonio’s harsh words cut through the silence as he whirled around. Few of them had heard him speak Italian before, and never so bitterly. It was so uncharacteristic that it left them stunned. “If you would just let me finish, you would know why my work is hard. Yet, you haven’t. Ever. I don't remember the last time I talked about my job with any of you and you didn't interrupt me. Did you know that I work 14 hours a day? Did you know that I don't remember the last time my father said something that wasn't an insult? Did you know that I haven't taken a vacation since I was 17? No. You don’t because you never let me finish and you never thought to ask.  
“None of you have ever thought to ask. I don't even remember the last time one of you asked if I was ok,” Antonio had to pause. After a few seconds he continued, voice dangerously low. “I get that you don't understand what it's like to be me. I get that my life might seem great. And I get that you think I need to get ‘knocked down a peg’. But I never thought any of you would stoop as low as insulting my dead mother. So I’m sorry but I can't just sit here and accept your abuse anymore.” Another pause, this time so that he could collect his thoughts, absentmindedly running his hands through his hair.  
“You haven’t experienced half of what I have, so you can't sit there and call me a coward when I have given up everything I have ever wanted to get where I am and this isn't even where I want to be!” The end of his rant was the first time he raised his voice throughout his entire speech. Sighing, Antonio grabbed his suit coat and slung it over his shoulder.  
He walks to the door, pausing to turn around and make eye contact with everyone. They all sat there in stunned silence.   
“Don’t follow me. I’m finally washing my hands of you and I won't stick around to watch you swirl down the drain. ” With that, he spun on his heel and walked out.


	2. Apartment B12 (Long)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the longer unedited version!

Antonio should have known.  
He should have known that if Peter cared, he would have noticed his shoulders tense every time he mentioned Antonio’s ‘perfect life’. He should have known that if Megan were his friend, she would have seen the bags under his eyes growing steadily darker as the days went on. He should have known that if Dave looked closer, he would have noticed Antonio rubbing his chest with a pained look on his face. He should have known that if Ben paid attention, he would have seen the tremors that ran through Antonio’s hands when he and the others told him not to be weak.  
He should have known.  
Contrary to the belief of his friends, Antonio’s life was not perfect. It may seem that way from an outside perspective, he’s in his early twenties, has a good job and is pretty wealthy, but most good things come with a price. For Antonio, that price was his dream. He never wanted to take over his family's business, he wanted to be an artist, but he didn't get the choice.  
Being a businessman wasn't what Antonio wanted for himself. The cleanliness and suits and meeting just weren't...Antonio. He liked getting his hands dirty, which was why art was so appealing to him. But there were appearances he had to uphold, the son of Richard Aliezea II should never be seen dabbling in something as atrocious as the arts. Antonio hated the expectations put on him by his father. Yet, he never did anything about them.  
That was one of Antonio's worst traits. He’s a people pleaser. So much so that he bypasses his personal needs to make others happy. That’s why he never brought up how unhappy he was. Antonio wanted to be an artist so badly, but his fear of disappointing his father was far greater. So he kept quiet. He endured the stress of managing a multi-million dollar company. He did everything he could to please his father and his friends.  
Antonio had been a generally closed off person since his mother died. Part of the problem however, was that the people who he would talk to, his friends, were not who they said they were. Sure, they seemed pretty nice but deep down, they really only hung out with him because he was rich and famous. Still, Antonio was oblivious to their intentions. Oblivious to how toxic their relationship was. Oblivious to how badly they treated him.  
Antonio had just gotten back from a board meeting when he snapped. The meeting was long and taxing, his father had been especially hard on him. He pulled Antonio into the hall after the meeting ended and slapped him across the face. Richard's harsh words still echoed in Antonio’s head.  
Stupid.  
Weak.  
Dumb.  
Mistake.  
His father had ever been physical with Antonio before. Only the occasional bitter insult. That changed after his mother died. Now there was no one to stand in his way.  
Giving a quick shake of his head to clear his thoughts, Antonio walks into Kit’s apartment building. They had all agreed to meet up there for a few drinks as the next day was a Saturday and no one had anything else to do. Antonio had only agreed to come tonight because he wanted to talk to them. No. He needed to talk to them. The stresses of his life were eating away at him. He felt like if he went another day without telling anybody he might explode.  
As he trudged up the stairs, Antonio attempted to clear his head and get in the right mindset to be with his friends. This was a ritual that Antonio went through often, straightening up and locking away his emotions, making sure no one could tell what he was feeling. Deep down he knew that this was probably detrimental to his mental health and yet, he couldn't bring himself to change. While closing himself off, Antonio was also trying to draw up enough courage for what he was about to do.  
Walking towards apartment B12, Antonio steadied his breathing. He was gonna do it. He tried to keep a clear head, to not think about what was going to happen. Focusing instead on how he would feel after. Wiping his clammy hands on his slacks, Antonio rang the doorbell. After a few seconds and some chatter from inside, the door opened to reveal Dave, clad in dark blue jeans and a worn t-shirt. There was a smile on his face that didn't seem quite genuine.  
“Oh hey Antonio,” Dave stepped aside, silently inviting him in. Antonio strolled into the apartment, stopping quickly to the left of the door to set his suit jacket on the stool there. Everybody was already there, sitting on the couch with either a glass of wine or a beer. He smiled sheepishly, standing awkwardly while they all stared at him until Kit broke the ice.  
“Hi Antonio, it’s nice to see you. Would you like something to drink?” She walked towards him, while the others continued their previous conversations.  
“Sure, I’ll have a glass of wine, please.” Antonio sat down in an empty chair at the edge of the activity. It was warm and lively but for some reason, Antonio didn't feel welcome. Maybe it was the scathing glances ‘discreetly’ sent his way. Or how everybody seemed to consciously turn their bodies away from him. Or how no one had made eye contact with him for more than a few seconds since he arrived. Soon after, Kit walked back out of the kitchen with a glass of white wine in her hand.  
Antonio smiled warmly at her. Kit was the only one in the group that wasn't directly unkind to him. But she never stood up for him either. She walked over to Antonio, holding out the glass for Antonio to take. He grabbed it gingerly and Kit sat down.  
“So Antonio, how has work been?” She asked, attempting a casual conversation. Everybody seemed to quiet down, waiting for his response. Heaving a large sigh, Antonio tried to formulate a response that wouldn't anger anyone.  
“Work has been…not great if I’m honest-” He gets cut off mid sentence by Dave.  
“Yeah sure, Aliezea. Your job as the richest 24 year old on earth must be so hard,” Dave spat, “Counting your millions of dollars, sitting in your already-paid-off house has to take a lot of energy.” The harsh words caught Antonio off guard, leaving him vulnerable for the next verbal attack.  
“Geez Antonio, can you give it a rest? You can’t always have all the attention on you.” Ben’s words stung, causing tears to prickle at the back of Antonio’s eyes. He blinked rapidly to make them go away.  
“Yeah,” Megan agreed, “you haven't worked hard a day in your life. You don't have anything to complain about, everything you have was handed to you. Maybe you should toughen up a bit and start caring about someone that isnt yourself.” Her words caused rage to spark somewhere in Antonio’s chest. He clenched his fists in an attempt to release some of his anger. It didn't work.  
“You should stop hiding behind your money and try to be one of us someday. Then you'd see that not all of us have such a great life,” Peter said, his words full of venom. “That not all of us can sit around and be lazy. Maybe it would knock you down a peg or two. You could use it.”  
“You know what?” Antonio stood and started to make his way towards the door, “I'm done with this cra-”  
“Oh! Now you’re gonna run away from your problems like the coward you are. The little rich boy can't handle the truth so he’s gonna flee and cry to his mommy. Oh, wait.” Ben’s tone was mocking and a cruel smile stretched across his face when Antonio tensed. Antonio’s mother was a touchy subject, he hadn't told them much about her other than that she died when he was 13. It was a low blow and Ben knew it would really get under Antonio’s skin.  
It was Ben, who seemed so sweet and innocent when you first meet him, that sent Antonio off the edge, plunging into the depths of rage. He released his tight fists and closed his eyes as a dark look came over his face. Everyone was silent as they waited for his response.  
When most people get angry, you get a reaction that is red-hot, and loud. There is yelling, screaming and sometimes even tears. What happened then, was the exact opposite. Instead of yelling and breaking things, Antonio took a deep breath and opened his eyes. It was at that moment that the group of friends realized that they weren't facing searing anger. No, they were facing cold, quiet fury.  
“Don't you dare insult my mother you… you fottuto marmocchio'' Antonio’s harsh words cut through the silence. Few of them had heard him speak Italian before, and never so bitterly. It was so uncharacteristic that it left them stunned. Creating the perfect window for Antonio to continue. “If you would just let me finish, you would know why my work is hard. Yet, you haven’t. Ever. I don't remember the last time I talked about my job with any of you and you didn't interrupt me. Did you know that I work 14 hours a day? Did you know that I don't remember the last time my father said something that wasn't verbally abusive? Did you know that I haven't taken a vacation since I started this job? No. You don’t because you never let me finish and you never thought to ask.  
“I’ve been through so many things these past few years and none of you have ever thought to ask. I don't even remember the last time heard the words ‘I love you’.” Antonio had to pause, the lump in his throat blocking the next words. After a few seconds he continues, voice dangerously low. “I get that you don't understand what it's like to be me. But I need you to try. I get that to you my life might seem great. But it's not. I get that you think I need to get ‘knocked down a peg’. But I never thought any of you would stoop as low as insulting my dead mother. So I’m sorry but I can't just sit here and accept your abuse anymore.” Another pause, this time so that he could collect his thoughts, absentmindedly running his hands through his hair.  
“Have you ever been scared to speak your mind in public because it could ruin your reputation? Have you ever had your father breathing down your neck, pointing out every little mistake you make? Have you ever gone 72 hours without sleeping just to get work done? Have you ever given up your dreams, so that you could live up to everybody else's expectations? You haven’t. But I have. So you can't sit there and call me a coward when I have given up everything I have ever wanted to get where I am and that's not even where I want to be!” The end of his rant was the first time he raised his voice throughout his entire speech. Sighing, Antonio grabs his suit coat and slings it over his shoulders.  
He walks to the door, pausing to turn around and make eye contact with everyone. They all sat there in stunned silence.  
“Don’t bother trying to contact me. I’m finally washing my hands of you and I won't stick around to watch you swirl down the drain. ” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out.  
“Wait! Antonio, come back-” Megan calls out, attempting to stand up and run after him. A gentle but firm hand forced her to sit back down. She whipped around to see Kit looking angrily at her. One shake of her head was all it took to get them all to stand down.  
Meanwhile, Antonio sat in his car, high on adrenaline and shaking. Soon, tears of relief, anger and sadness started to pour out of his eyes. When his tear ducts finally dried up, he realized that he was exhausted. He drove home, thinking about the events of the night. When he got to his house, he decided that it was time to finally stand up to his father. Two rings later, Antonio had the conversation that would change his life forever, and it started with three words.  
“Dad? I quit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't think that this needs any warnings but if I'm wrong please tell me!

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is always appreciated!  
> Check out my [Wattpad](https://www.wattpad.com/user/Sofi-Lofi-Artichokie) !


End file.
